


Garnet's Future Vision

by Blue_Moon84



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Family, Fluff, Fluffy Ending, Friendship, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Pain, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-09-07 11:27:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20308717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Moon84/pseuds/Blue_Moon84
Summary: (Before the events of Change Your mind)Garnet is trapped by Homeworld Gems and forced to go with them under the orders of the Diamonds.The common punishment for a rebel is to be destroyed, but upon discovering a peculiar ability in her they decide to use it in their favor no matter how much they could hurt her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my native language, so I apologize for possible grammar mistakes!

Garnet barely managed to open her eyes looking around lazily, she felt really tired, the gems, machines and exterior decoration were barely visible, she could hardly distinguish them, all she saw were blurry spots of different colors and shapes, she could hear some distant voices and the already familiar and hateful beep of the machine to which she was connected, increasing when they were going to use it once more.  
She was lying on a stretcher, her hands and legs were tied tightly to it, no matter how hard she tried to get up or break them, she couldn't. I was totally trapped.  
From the moment he arrived he knew that fighting would be of no use, she was at Homeworld, every gem alive there was against her. Every future that she explored to run away ended very badly.  
The common punishment for a rebel was the destruction of her gem, including the forced fusion between her pieces and those of many others, ensuring that they would continue to suffer their entire existence even if they’re broken.  
Her punishment was different, but no less cruel.  
Since the destruction of Pink Diamond the production of gems had lowered its quality, Homeworld could no longer make gems as before, without Pink they did not have the necessary resources; and the Sapphires were very valuable, rare and precious gems. Creating them in era 2 was extremely difficult, the margin of error was too high, if they were valuable before, now they were practically a treasure.  
One of its halves was a Sapphire, if they broke someone it would be Ruby, but they discovered a peculiarity on their part, Garnet could not only see the future, but that he could navigate in it, choose what was happening and create own scenarios, see different roads. It was a vision of the future different from a Sapphire, it was much more complex and better. It would be useful if only she cooperated.  
Of course, they could not expect a rebel to accept working on their side without tricks or deception in the middle, there was nothing to assure them that she would not find a way to escape.  
Instead of offering a deal, they simply forced her to cooperate, to be a vital part of a machine that allows them to use their power as a source and control the paths they saw themselves, using it as if she was a thing.  
Since they decided her punishment, everything was a blur for her, they took her to a large room, put on her wrist a bracelet that prevented her from separating, and tied her to a stretcher.  
She had no idea how much time had passed since then, before even starting they give her a strong sedative, it was not courtesy, it was not to relieve the pain she would feel, if not to prevent her from fighting and and what the gem in charge said before sleeping her.  
-I can't stand the screams, they stun me and I don't feel like enduring yours- and then ... everything was dark. His eyes began to close on their own, listening more and more far away the noises of the room and feeling lighter touches on his body. The last thing she heard was the beep of the machine going on, suddenly there was nothing. A place without time or space and in which her thoughts could not arrive.  
Sometimes she woke up for a few moments, saw objects or heard voices, usually whenever it happened another gem came by giving her a simple prick and returning her to nothing.  
The fact that he cannot think or feel, did not mean that she wasn't hurt or weak, avery action takes energy, hee gems created tons of it so that unlike a human she doesn't need to sleep, she can fight, invoke his weapon, etc. To be using her future vision for so long in a constant, forced way and without her having control was running out of it. She knew when to stop, how far she could go, those gems instead, continued day after day, even if she couldn't feel it she was terribly weak. They were consuming her energy faster than her gems could create it.  
For that reason, from time to time they let her rest, when her physical form was about to poof, they stopped and locked her in a cell. They could not let their physical form dissipate, if she returned to her gems there was a possibility that they choose not to regenerate and lose her. It was valuable to be wasted.  
Those days, ironically, were the worst for her, she could only remember some, since in others she was completely out.  
She was awake, but completely asleep at the same time, she stared at a fixed point for hours without knowing what was happening, thinking was difficult, She was too stunned to know what was happening.  
That happened if she was fortunate enough that the sedative would take effect, otherwise she could think with a little more clarity and feel how little by little she had control over her mind and body, and with that, the gradual, but incessant headache. The more lucid she was, the stronger it was. She came to wish to be taken again just not to feel the agonizing pain that throbbed in her head.  
Those days were the worst and not only because of the pain, but because if she was able to think, she was able to miss. And she missed her home. She wanted to lie on Steven's bed while he taught her a story, or in a sleepover with everyone where they laughed and played the rare board games that Steven had. She missed the Pearl and Amethyst fights, the scent of the beach and the tranquility of her home.  
She felt tired, weak and sore, missed her family.  
She just wanted go home. 

She had no idea of the time she has been locked in, she could be there for an eternity without knowing it.  
She turned her head slowly to the right, struggling to focus her eyes on the gems in the room, for some reason she didn't know, there was a stir she could barely feel. She closed her eyes again releasing a small sigh and swallowing saliva, it was an almost instinctive action since beyond her eyes, she didn't feel her own body.  
More than one gem ran to the machine to which it was attached, she hear that familiar beep slowly increase in volume, she wanted to tell her that she was conscious, just at least, but her voice didn’t come out, did not respond to her mind. Usually after that beep everything turned black, but they had not given her more sedative this time. They really seemed rushed.  
Instead of feeling nothing and fading as usual, this time she felt the energy coming from that machine run through her, practically stealing hers and forcing her to share it. Pain, stars, it hurt so bad.  
She felt as if someone would go through her head with something sharp and open it in half, the headache she felt at the breaks did not compare to this.  
Humans had a pain limit before passing out, a point where their body turned itself off to protect itself. The gems were instead resistant to pain and Garnet had a fairly high pain threshold, she could only "shut down" herself when her energy ran out.  
A groan broke from her lips when she felt it, hee body was reacting instinctively even without properly processing what was happening. Hee hands were clenched into fists, weakly pressing her gems into his palms, with all the strength her exhausted body had.  
As the minutes passed and further on they tried to go on future roads, the pain became more acute, stronger, causing her to clench his teeth and the screams begin to part with it, drowning in hee lips. She felt that the minutes were eternal, she wanted to beg to stop, but she couldn't even speak without shouting.  
She squirmed on the stretcher, pulling the ties that held her without being able to break them, arching her back, desperate to pull away, she wanted them to stop now, she felt they would break her, but the bracelet on her wrist kept her physical form intact.  
Finally, after minutes that seemed eternal, the enormous pain suddenly stopped, dropping her body to the stretcher, suddenly relaxing hee.  
She was grateful to have been sedated all this time, she didn't think she was able to endure such a severe pain for all eternity. She breathed agitatedly, trying to catch her breath, in her head she felt the ghost of pain, that familiar headache she felt in his rest.  
She didn't understand why they didn't completely sedate her as usual, she couldn't process what was happening in the outside world, she saw the gems come in and run sounding incredibly far away, barely distinguishing their silhouettes, the world circled around them.  
The sedative that she still had in hesr body was strong, although no longer enough to numb her from a machine with such power.  
She groaned complaining softly, her eyes began to close, the sounds became distant again and her body felt heavy. A part of her was happy to sleep, to stop feeling pain.  
The last thing she heard was someone yelling her name, but she couldn't tell who or stay to find out.


	2. The Rescue

A Homeworld ship had arrived on earth months ago, going unnoticed by the Crystal Gems. For a while they were extremely careful to observe them, find out how many rebels were alive on earth and what skills each had.  
It was the simplest task, just a Pearl, an Amethyst and a fusion. The most important of all, Rose Quartz, disguised as a human, living among them along with the rest of Crystal Gems. Pathetic.  
It was a night that they got too close, enough for Garnet to be able to feel them and more importantly: see them in her future vision.  
She gave immediate notice to her team, Homeworld gems were desperate to complete their plans, Yellow Diamond would kill them if they ruined the mission and lost sight of those damn rebels.  
It was too late, they had already discovered them and if they wanted their mission not to be a complete failure they would have to take them to Homeworld.  
They fought unfairly using weapons and much more advanced technology than could exist on earth and yet the rebels proved their strength.  
They almost won, but at the last moment they tried to take Steven in a hurried attempt of no failures, but they couldn't leave him, Garnet was able to see him coming and threw him away from the battle, where Pearl was.  
The tie that was going to take Steven wrapped her around her waist, pulling hard and dragging her to the ship.  
It was not Rose Quartz, but if one of the rebels, at least her mission was not a total failure.  
Before she can find a way to escape, the ship's door closed and took off, she try to fight, but before she can react they took out a blue destabilizer pressing against her stomach. It was not like the yellow ones, but it weakened her a lot, making her almost impossible to get up.

The rest of the Crystal Gems couldn’t do anything, it happened very fast and the ship took off, they reacted too late. They had taken her.  
It was a total chaos, without her they did not know what to do, how to recover her, how the hell to reach space for her.  
There were ships on earth, but they were almost 5000 years ago, making them fly was impossible, building one would be even more difficult and it would take longer.  
They checked each and every one in search of something that could serve them, luckily for them, even though the ships were in very bad condition, the emergency ones were considerably better. They didn't get any of them to fly and much less safe for Steven, but repairing it was their only and best chance.  
They repaired one of them, Peridot and Pearl took care of the task leaving behind anything else, there was no rest. Every day, every minute she did not return home was another chance to be broken.  
The most affected by this was Steven.

-Steven? - Pearl called out loud when after a tiring day of fixing that ship, it was already late and he was still awake.  
He was looking for a while to finally find him sitting outside the house, staring at the sea and the stars with tears on his cheeks.  
-Your bedtime is over- Pearl muttered through the silence of the house at that time of night, walking beside her and putting a hand on her back, noticing the wet glow of her tears.  
She let out a small distressed sigh, taking out a handkerchief from her gem and gently cleaning his cheeks while kneeling at his height.  
-We’re going to find her- she speak instinctively to calm him down, but not even she could tell.  
-How do you know? - He asked turning to her, watching as Pearl ran out of words to answer. He was never so negative, he always saw the bright side of everything, but he loved Garnet very much and it had been almost a month.  
A month in which they could be struggling to build a ship to look for someone who might be dead. Homeworld could have destroyed her as soon as it arrived or else who knows what they would be doing.  
Pearl swallowed the lump in her throat at his question, there was nothing to assure him that she was fine, not even something that told them she was alive.  
He brought the little boy to his arms, hugging him tightly to give him some comfort. Nothing could fix this.  
Steven blinked feeling the knot of emotions in his chest tighten by the kind touch, forcing more tears run down his cheeks and small sobs come out of his throat.  
-It was my fault- The sob talking choppy.  
\- It must be me. She saved me and we couldn't help her - he would have preferred to be taken instead, he preferred to be hurt instead of them.  
-Oh Steven ... it's not your fault. She saved you because she loves you, it was her decision, not yours.- That was something that Pearl could assure him. He should not bear that pain all his life.  
-I never met my mother, I don't want ... - I sigh drowning a sob -I don't want to lose another. I don't want to lose any of you- He plunged his head into pearl's chest, wetting her shirt with tears. His maternal figures were them, they took care of him since childhood, they loved him all his life even though he had snatched them from they leader. They were there for each and every time he need it.  
At this point, Pearl also had tears in her eyes threatening to leave at any time.  
She ran her hand over his head, entangling her fingers with the foreign curlers, tickling her chin with them.  
-If she is still out there ... Steven I promise, we will not leave her alone- pressed her cheek against his head, gently running his arms under his legs and holding him just like when he was a baby.  
-We’re going to bring her home- she stroked her back with love, if Garnet was still alive somewhere in the universe, they weren't going to stop until they found her.  
He cried on his shoulder, venting the sadness he had been carrying for almost a month. He missed her so much and it hurt to think that maybe he would never see her again, walk on her hair or receive one of her hugs. Garnet might seem cold to everyone, but she wasn't with his family, not really.  
She was love in its purest form.

"The last thing she heard was someone yelling her name, but she couldn't tell who or stay to find out."  
From the first day they had captured her until that moment, it had been 2 months.  
The ship was very damaged, fixing it took time and work, then when they could go at full speed, the problem of finding it arose.  
Where in Homeworld was she? Maybe a cell ... if she was still alive.  
The way to locate it was to break into the central and command tower of Homeworld, where all the information arrived and was sent to another part or to a colony.  
Pearl came in and the hack pretending to be just a pearl that delivered and received data, it was difficult since the information there was very, very extensive, but he got it right when she entered the search engine “Fusions”. There were reports of the Yellow Diamond, Cluster experiments, some technical data and, among many, reports on the future vision experiment.  
That had to be her, there was no way another fusion was related to the future vision.  
While they were investigating the place they were forced to be discreet and go unnoticed, they stole a ship so as not to be suspected of having only one escape ship in deplorable conditions, they were in a world where everyone considers them a threat. If discovered they would not have a chance to flee.  
The moment they left their act was when they finally found her.  
They were not allowed to pass through the building and their farce became too suspicious, they had no choice but to attack. The plan was simple, enter, take it and leave as quickly as possible.  
They had the surprise factor on their side, as soon as they began to suspect they attacked by quickly pooping every gem that crossed, not giving them a chance to call or give notice to anyone else.  
They entered the building, fighting truthfully with each gem until they found her tied in a room.  
-Garnet! - Pearl exclaimed in a mixture of relief to see her alive and surprised because he had never seen her so bad.  
The rest followed behind him, shouting her name the same way when they saw her.  
Like everyone else, Garnet had worse and better moments, but no one had ever seen her vulnerable. She was always strong, powerful, confident even if she had everything against.  
Now she looked terribly exhausted, oblivious to everything that was going on around her, her eyes were barely open and they looked lost, as if she processed absolutely nothing. Pearl's suspicions were confirmed when she didn't react when she saw them, her eyes just finished closing. She looked so damn weak.  
She saw her fight in a war and yet he never saw her like this.  
Steven was the first to run to where she was, his eyes stung in tears, his hands were sweating and he felt his heart pounding in his chest, almost listening to his heartbeat.  
He was scared, he was so damn scared for her.  
-Garnet?- He asked in a broken whisper, taking her hand.  
-Garnet- repeated in a sob, giving a little squeeze to the hand he was holding, he felt cold in her palm where hee gem rested. It was Sapphire, but what worries him is that Garnet never had her cold gem, both are regulated at the same temperature, she was not only suffering the pain of that machine, they had forced her to exist even if she didn't want to or if her physical form no longer resisted it.  
-Come on, we are here. Please, wake up- the boy begged between sobs shaking her arm a little. He got no reaction.  
-Steven you have to get her out of here! - Pearl exclaimed from the door, neither she or amethyst approached, they were very busy poofing gems and making sure that none of them let other to now that a group of rebels was attacking a Homeworld building  
-You have to untie her! - she said, the faster they got out of there, the faster they could help her.  
Steven nodded, running the back of his hand over his face, wiping the trail of tears that clouded his eyes knowing that what she said was true. They had to take her out and go to the ship, she could worry as much as she wanted later.  
He approached the ties and removed them noting that the material they were made was not too resistant, that made him wonder what they had done so that she would not be able to break them and run away. Sheñe wasn't even able to open his eyes or react to his touch.  
Opal was present moments later, both to end the remaining gems and to take Garnet in her arms and take her to the ship, she could not walk alone or even with help.  
They were fast, but not enough to go completely unnoticed, the alarm began to sound alerting other gems, they could not pretend to avoid being captured, they were two fusions, one in the arms of the other and a human child. It was anything but common there.  
They fled to the ship in a hurry, taking off towards the earth, they didn't mind being discovered in order to recover a member of their family.


	3. Home

Opal carefully deposited Garnet on the ground, while the ship closed its floodgates and took off before Homeworld had a chance to stop them.  
They had narrowly escaped, but their mission was completely successful. They had Garnet with them.

-Garnet? - Steven asked again in tears of worry and relief.  
Her gems were intact despite the difference in temperatures, and her physical form too, although she did not respond to stimuli. At first glance she looked good, she had no major injuries or bruises, but if she felt exhausted.  
-Why she doesn't wake up? - he asked.  
-What were they doing with her? -

Pearl and Amethyst unfuse aside, both sharing Steven's concern.   
-Maybe… she's just exhausted- Pearl was the first to speak, putting her hand gently to the side of her face.

-Do you think she will be alright?- Steven sobbed, taking another's hand again, silently begging her to wake up.

-If her gems are fine ... then she will be. Physically at least- She gave a sad sigh giving Garnet a look from head to toe, making sure she didn't have any visible wounds and that her gems are in perfect condition.

It had been days since she was brought back home, Garnet had not felt Homeworld's trip to the earth, just movement and the strange feeling of having no idea where she was; In the first few days She hasn't woken up, she has no energy to do it.

Her mind was regaining consciousness, but not in the same way it does when she wakes up from a restful sleep, where dreams and reality gently untangle in the morning mist. No, this was just a transition from nothing to existence again. She moved gently when she could feel her body or when she had little conscience, making a face at the pain she felt in practically her entire body, she doesn't even open her eyes yet, she had no idea where she was, but she felt the softness of the fabric beneath her, the faint murmur of voices that she couldn't distinguish. She wanted to move, get up, but it wasn't an option now, everything hurt.   
She slowly opened his eyes, closing them by the light that was dim in the place, her head throbbing damn loudly. Her eyelids felt heavy, involuntarily wanting to close and drag her back into unconsciousness, but again, that's how they were every day now, there was nothing she could do against it, she was sedated for months. She forced his eyes to focus and vaguely notice the wooden ceiling, the window and the stuffed animals on the mantelpiece, recognizing the place instantly and closing her eyes again. Now she understood why the softness of where she was, why the tranquility, she had no idea how she got there, she wanted to see Steven, her family, her kitten, everyone.  
Among those murmurs she could distinguish a distant cry, forcing her to make another face of annoyance, not for the sound she could barely distinguish, but for the impulse she had to calm him down, she wanted to calm him down, he needed her, she already knew where she was, a cry of a child there must be Steven. 14 years taking care of that child gave her a huge maternal instinct, she couldn't bear to hear him cry and do absolutely nothing.

This was one of the brief moments in which she woke up, she was aware for a few minutes and then returned to nothing.  
The last two months were like this, waking momentarily when the doses of sedative in her system went down, causing her to swim between consciousness and unconsciousness, only to receive another dose and end the problem.  
This time she was more lucid but not less sleepy. She was at home, nobody here slept or hurt her.

When they arrived, Steven offered his bed to rest because there were not many in the temple, she couldn't sleep in the fountains of Pearl and the mattresses stacked in Amethyst's room smelled suspiciously odd.  
Both accepted, laying her down carefully, reviewing every little detail of her again.

Pearl checked her gems thoroughly for a small fracture, a scratch, some sign that she had been physically hurt, but found nothing.  
They kept her in that bed making sure she was comfortable, sometimes her temperature went up and down, it was hot enough to burn the sheets or as cold as ice.  
Sometimes she talked or complained asleep in pain, Steven, who usually didn't turn away from her side, always stroked her hair over and over to reassure her, spoke softly or slept in her arms.  
To see her that way, so weak, it was strange and painful.  
Sometimes, when he talked to her, he couldn't help start crying, he missed her voice, her hugs, but he was relieved with the hope that she would soon wake up and be fine.

-Pearl- He called slowly sitting on the bed where Garnet slept.

-Yes Steven? - Pearl replied from below while preparing something to eat.

-She is complaining again- He couldn't hear Pearl's worried little sigh that kept stirring a mixture of food in a bowl.  
She complained almost daily, but still could not wake up. The sedative was losing more and more effect and made her feel more pain, adding that she was still recovering energy and her body was still very tired.

Garnet was still in the same place, she knew it from the familiar scent of the sea, and the softness and the perfume that was in Steven's bed, she knew them very well.  
She moved gently by reflex upon waking, letting out a small gasp when he felt his body completely, still hurt, she still felt suffocated, as if lost in a huge and dense fog; but hell, if he could bear blows like that he could bear to move.   
Knowing what the hell had happened, she tried to move, she really did, but it hurt so much. What had happened to being strong? Shpe had never felt so vulnerable in his entire life. She wanted to see how are they, what had happened, how it got there and why Steven was crying, but being there, in the softness of the sheets felt so good, so calm and far from Homeworld; her family was a priority, she want to know about them, but she was so tired ...

-She moved! - Steven exclaimed turning toward the bottom of the house, although he always complained, very rarely moved or responded to a stimulus. Almost null.

-What? - Pearl and Amethyst asked at the same time, leaving what they were doing and climbing the stairs to see her.

-Hey Garnet? - Steven asked taking his hand,  
hopeful that this time she wake up.   
-Come on. We are with you, you are at home- he insisted whispering the words to her.

Garnet felt someone in the room, barely noises and distant voices, could distinguish Steven's, was soft and steady, as if he were talking to her.  
She tried to move, stopping and giving a painful groan, feeling his voice for the first time or rather that it burned her throat so much, she wanted to go after him, hug him, wanted him so badly. She wasn't used to feeling that way, it was frustrating to be so vulnerable.  
Then, she hear what he called the others in a practically shout announcing that she had moved.  
She felt a small hand take hers and a few gentle words near her. This time she was able to give a small and weak squeeze on the other hand, making an enormous effort to open her eyes.

Steven gasped smiling at the squeeze, feeling the tears sting in his eyes, for many days he tried to talk to her, touch her, get even a minimal reaction from her. He didn't get any until now. 

-You're awake- he smiled running his hand down his cheek to wipe his own tears.

She let out a heavy sigh, forcing herself to open her eyes again and see those around her, but instantly as soon as the minimum amount of light reached her, the stitches in her head seemed to increase much.  
She groaned in pain, slowly moving her hand to his face, barely covering her eyes with them.   
It hurt like hell.

Pearl was the first to react to see her, assuming her head must hurt  
-Oh dear… Does your head hurt? - she asked with concern as she stood up and went to the windows, running the curtains to cover the light.  
The only answer she had was a nod that was so small that it could be confused with nothingness itself.  
-All right, Amethyst can you find a cold cloth? - she asked as he continued until he left the room in complete darkness.

Amethyst nodded down quickly for what they asked for, there were no medication or something that helps gems with pain. Garnet would have to handle it herself, all the rest could do was try to help.

Her body ached from the excessive work that she had been exposed to, it hurt a lot more then when when Sugilite destroyed the beach.  
But even the pain of her exhausted body did not compare to that of his head. It throbbed horribly, she felt like she was going to split in two.  
Amethyst came up to the bed while placing a damp cloth on her forehead, covering her third eye.  
It was just that, a little cold in her head, but it felt so damn good. Somehow relax her even if the headache was still as strong.

-Take a deep breath and try to sleep- Pearl muttered softly as she covered her with some comfortable, soft blankets, they waited for several days to wake up, but when she finally did she found herself terribly sore and unable to say a word.  
Garnet felt the touch of a small hand hold her hand, a change in her periphery and a calm voice whispering in her ear

\- Rest, I'll take care of you until you're better. I'll be with you when you wake up, I promise- and a sweet kiss on the back of her hand.

She entwined her hand with his, adjusting her grip and breathing slowly, finally yielding to the darkness and tranquility to which her body was dragging her.

Pearl pressed a cold cloth to her forehead, causing Garnet to breathe deeply at the contact that usually wouldn't cause any reaction.  
-That's cold- she muttered under her breath, shivering a little. She didn't feel cold as such thanks to Sapphire, but she did feel the temperature difference and this was a sudden one.

-A little. It's you who's burning- Pearl replied softly, running her thin hand down her cheek.  
-At least you're with us this time, the last ones you were completely lost- she said.

The words circled Garnet's head, trying to give what she remembered a before and after.  
She remembered blurry moments of having been in Homeworld like in a cell, then, abruptly in her memories, she was at home.  
-Is there anything you want to ask? - Pearl said seeing her so confused.

-Yes, but I can't- The gem responded.

Pearl sighed and nodded, she had received that answer several times in the last millennia, she for some reason never asked questions.  
-We found you and brought you home two weeks ago, you were completely asleep.- She explain while changing the cloth on his forehead.  
-We took off your bracelet, Peridot managed to do it, but when we did it your temperature started to rise or fall- Now it was burning, at night it was as cold as Sapphire.  
Beyond that, babble asleep many times, especially complained of the headache, but right now she did not remember any of that.  
-Does it hurt? - She asked referring to his head, getting a small nod.  
The pain wasn't as strong and desperate as other times.  
-Okay, you can sleep for a while if you want, we will not move from here- since returning home was never alone, there was always someone inside to take care of her.

Garnet just nodded, but didn't close her eyes to sleep, she hasn't felt so clear for a long time.  
She hear the entrance door slam along with two voices announcing her arrival. She couldn't help but grimace at the loud sound.

-Pearl we are here- Steven announced smiling as he entered along with Amethyst.

-Steven, amethyst, silence- she said quickly before anything else, she didn't want the headache to increase.  
Both listening to her left things and went up to Garnet, worried about knowing how she was.

-Why? Is she okay?- Steven asked in a whisper practically running towards the bed.

-Yes, I am- Garnet replied smiling softly at the sweet boy's concern.

He smiled being silent as Pearl had asked, but did not contain his emotion and ran to the bed giving her a hug; She was careful for fear of hurting her or causing her pain.

-It's okay, I'm fine- she responded to the hug weakly, Steven could swear he felt her hands shake and his touch was incredibly soft, still surprising how weak she could be.  
As she separated she laid him on her chest, relieved to have those she loved nearby.

-I ... I was so worried, I feared I would never see you again and then you didn't wake up and you looked so bad. You shouldn't have done it, you should have let them take me, they wouldn't have hurt you- Steven said stumbling over his words as tears began to form in his eyes and run down his cheeks.

-Steven- she caught his attention, bringing her hand to the other's curlers while entwining them with a caress.  
-I'm fine- She repeated in a whisper just for both of them, taking advantage of the fact that he was comfortably in her chest.  
-I'm here, I am at home, I love you and I do not regret what happened- it was hell, yes, but he could get something even worse and would not live a month without water or food.  
-It's over, let it go- maybe it was too early to let it go when he was in his chest while a movement such as stroking his head was starting to tire her.

-You scared me- He said looking up at her bathed in tears.

-I know, I'm sorry- she stopped stroking his hair to surround him with her arm and take his hand.

-You're really warm- He opined -More than usual- His temperature was usually a midpoint between Ruby's heat and Sapphire's cold, but she had been varying between both extremes all night, more than once in fact.

-I'm fine- she repeated bringing her other hand to his cheek drying the trail of tears.  
-I promise, I'm fine- approached and left a kiss on his forehead, she rarely do that for the risk of passing future vision, but with how weak she was and considering that her power had been exploited to the extreme, she doubted having it right now.

The river by the affectionate gesture, hiding his face in his neck and letting out a small quiet sigh.  
Finally she was at home.

She had rested so peacefully a few moments ago.  
Now Steven was running with icy cloths while Pearl held her hand and told him to take a deep breath to calm down.  
She was lying on her side, drowning out the moans of pain with the pillow as she tried to breathe regularly as Pearl told her.

Garnet in her best state, didn't usually sleep because if she did his future vision wandered uncontrollably in her dreams. Small pieces or future paths, probable, unlikely, others born of her imagination altered in dreams.  
Since she arrived that did not happen once because of her condition, but she had the slight suspicion that perhaps this time it had been different.  
She was sleeping peacefully, then began to speak in incoherent murmurs that later turned into whining moans.

When she opened his eyes, Amethyst and Pearl hovered anxiously over her.  
They never saw her that way, she always had quite high pain support, but now you could tell she was suffering a lot.

Her head hurt so bad. She felt sharp pangs in constant pain, this was much harder to ignore than something she could see coming like a kick or a punch.  
She think maybe she used his future vision unconsciously asleep and that's why the terrible sudden pain.  
She felt Pearl's hand on her shoulder, caressing gently and talking nervously, trying to help her a little.  
The sedative was already completely gone from his system long ago, nothing masked the pain now, she wasn't sleepy, she wasn't going to forget this later.

-Here it is!- Steven exclaimed, extending Pearl an icy cloth that in seconds it pressed on her forehead with a small warning to close his eyes.

Garnet hissed at the external relief of receiving something cold, resuming her attempt to breathe regularly.   
She cursed at loud, it really hurt, I was starting to despair.  
Physical exhaustion and pain were not a good mix, pressing the pillows began to be little.

Pearl sighed with concern, desperate to find something that would improve her condition, that would ease her pain, but the gems had no medications or something to relieve them.  
She would have to handle it and was afraid that she wouldn't succeed.  
-W ... why don't you try to sleep? - She asked nervously.  
When Steven had a headache, he always drank some medicine, lay on the arms of one of them or Greg's, and slept over time.  
Sleep really helped sometimes.

-No- Panting -I can't Pearl, it hurts too much- she couldn't imagine how to sleep like that.  
-I ... I really can't- he said almost breathlessly.  
She was always strong, she always knew how to handle each situation as complex as it was, even internal conflicts such as butterflies.  
This ... was just too much.  
She was starting to feel desperate and with it came the emotional instability that put her fusion at greater risk.  
Now it wasn't just the pain, but her emotions afloat and the instability she felt.

Steven looked at her from the side of the bed with concern, he couldn't imagine how much it hurt to make someone like Garnet squirm in the bed without releasing the strong grip of the sheets.  
-Guys? - he asked looking at the other gems.  
-What if we make her feel comfortable? - It was literally the only thing they could do, but he was already noticing her discomfort and it wasn't just physical.  
Perhaps if he managed to calm her down they could help her to better support this torture, at least they could deal with her instability.

Both Pearl and Amethyst nodded, although doubtful of what he meant.

-Ah ... what are we supposed to do? - Amethyst asked as he climbed into bed, going to where Garnet held her arms tightly around himself, he could tell they were shaking.

-Just comfort her- he whisper.  
-Garnet? - He ask taking her arms gently, pulling them just for her to release her tight grip.

Garnet vaguely opened his eyes watching what he was doing, noting how strong her grip was on herself when he tried to pull them. Her nails were stuck in her own arms in a trembling grip.  
She released her arms when he was asking, letting him guide them away from his body and moments later she felt the little body take its place and hug her. This is what Steven meant by comforting her.  
It didn't calm the pain, but it was comforting.

He felt as she returned the hug around his small body, he could feel Garnet's entire body tremble slightly although it was more noticeable in his hands, the little spasms or as his breathing caught in his throat from time to time.

Pearl sat behind them on the bed, covering her with one of the blankets and stroking her back again and again, from top to bottom as she whispered as she had to breathe or follow Steven's breath.

Garnet was really trying, failing when the headache gave her a strong stitch.  
Amethyst sat on the head of the bed, running her hand over and over in her hair, intermingling her fingers with her curlers from time to time.  
No one spoke loudly other than by the soft murmurs of Pearl, they stayed that way for a long time.

Steven peeled off her shoulder a little so he could look at her, lovingly passing his hand on her cheek.  
She didn't even open her eyes, just a little humming that showed she was still awake, moved her arms and gently wrapped it back under her grip.  
-Are you okay? - He muttered comfortably in his arms.  
As horrible as the situation was at first, its heat, its arms and the fact that it was starting to get late was beginning to sleep.

-I think so- She sighed, she wasn't used to being the center of anyone's care, but someone else's love really helped calm down and concentrate on going through that instead of getting frustrated and getting more desperate.

At this point, Pearl had already lay behind her, never stopping to pass her hand over her back.  
-What did they do to you? - Finally she asked, the control tower had information, but an experiment was just that, an experimental test where it could go well, or maybe they killed her or corrupted her mind.  
The fact that she was with them completely well was almost a miracle.

-I ... I don't know- Garnet admitted with a shrug.  
-I don't remember anything- her memories were too blurry, there were some still images in her head, no sound or sensations, spots or figures of gems, but nothing concrete, nothing solid, it's not as if they had asked permission.

-All that matters is that it finished- Amethyst spoke as he stopped running her hand over her hair for a while.  
-And don't you growl or fight like an animal- she joked, referring to corrupt gems.  
It was a joke that at the time it hurt a lot, to think that maybe she would not be like that, but who knows how her mind would be fractured.

-Only if they try to take any of you- she responded to the joke with a smile, caressing Steven's back knowing that all that time he had felt guilty for what happened.   
Steven snuggled a little more into her hug, shrinking in her touch next to her chest.

-I love you- he replied without moving.

-Me two- Amethyst responded with a small smile from the head of the bed.

-Me three- Garnet continued, it was three people after all.

-Me four- Pearl nodded with a small smile following the game.

Steven laughed looking up at three with a smile.  
He definitely had the best family in the universe.

-Someone wants hot chocolate? - Pearl asked looking at Steven's direction that peeked out of Garnet arms with stars in his eyes.

Pearl laughed and sat down to get up and before Amethyst said something she raised her hand to shut her up  
-I know, also for you and I will bring you the tea bag if you want one ...? - Asked turning to Garnet.

-Yes, please- She nodded calmly, turning a moment toward her.

-Oh! And can it be with egg and cookies inside? - Amethyst asked enthusiastically, she ate many rare mixtures.

-And with bits? - Steven also joined to ask laughing.

Pearl flatly refused to make such a crush and less in bed, too many crumbs and hot chocolate was already a risk.  
Then chattering and harmless fights between Amethyst and Pearl, insisting that it was not a crush, just a delicious dish.  
Garnet could not help smiling even because of the fight, there is no place like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who went so far in the fic! I apologize for possible grammatical or orthographic errors. English is not my mother language.  
I am willing to read any suggestions or changes if they have any.  
Love you <3


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